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MGM Resorts savors voter support, reaches out to neighboring communities, in bid to open Springfield casino

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Rico Daniele, owner of the Mom & Rico Specialty Market on Main Street in the South End near the site of the proposed MGM Resorts International casino, was happy with the Tuesday night vote in favor of the project.
(Mark M. Murray / The Republican)

SPRINGFIELD – While MGM Resorts International gained a virtual citywide victory in Tuesday’s referendum, capturing 62 of 64 precincts, it was also setting its sights on reaching out to neighboring communities on the day after the vote.

MGM won all eight wards in the city, with the largest margin — 69 percent “yes” — in Ward 1, where the casino would be located if approved by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

The vote was 13,973 to 10,260 in favor of the casino, a margin of 58 percent in favor to 42 percent opposed. Voter turnout was about 25 percent.

MGM is proposing an $800 million casino in the South End of the city. Ward 1 consists of the North End, downtown and part of the South End.

There are competing casinos including a $1 billion project proposed by Mohegan Sun in Palmer, and an $800 million project proposed by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino New England in West Springfield. The commission will license up to three casinos in Massachusetts including one in Western Massachusetts.

On Wednesday, some South End residents and Rico Daniele, a long-time resident and neighborhood merchant, said they were excited by Tuesday night’s victory in Springfield and not surprised by the margin of victory.

“The MGM people are from another league,” said Daniele, owner of Mom & Rico’s Italian specialty store. “Bringing $800 million to $1 billion. How is that going to hurt?”

Timothy Vercellotti, professor of political science at Western New England University, and director of the university’s Polling Institute, said the wards most affected by the casino — Wards 1 and 3 — also gave the highest percentage support — 69 percent and 63.6 percent respectively. Ward 3 includes part of the South End and Six Corners.

“It’s clear jobs and development trump the externalities that the opponents raised, such as traffic and fears about crime,” Vercellotti said.

Given the hot weather and mid-summer referendum, Vercellotti said he was “relieved” by the 25 percent turnout.

The near sweep of Springfield precincts “gives MGM a talking point when they press their case with the Gaming Commission,” Vercellotti said. Just precincts 6B and 6H — parts of Forest Park and East Forest Park —were opposed.

“They can argue that support is widespread even if the margin of support is narrow in some parts of the city,” Vercellotti said.

Following a pattern of past elections, voter turnout was lighter in some of the inner city wards such as Wards 1 and 3, and was higher in some of the outlying wards, such as Ward 7, involving East Forest Park and part of Sixteen Acres.

The highest turnout was in Ward 7B and 7C, at Frederick Harris School in East Forest Park. In 7B, the turnout was 50.3 percent, highest in the city, followed by 7C, with 44.5 percent.

The worst turnouts were in Ward 3-E, at the JC Williams Community Center on Florence Street, at 11.1 percent, and Ward 3G, Holy Name Church Social Center, on Dickinson Street, at 12.2 percent.

Vercellotti said that a higher turnout can be influenced by a higher education level, and is generally higher among older voters.

The Polling Institute had conducted a telephone survey of 401 likely voters shortly before the vote, finding 55 percent were in favor of the casino, 35 percent against and 8 percent undecided. The poll was within the margin error of the results, he said.

MGM Resorts President William Hornbuckle and other senior MGM executives called municipal leaders, including mayors and town managers, in various communities near Springfield on Wednesday. MGM officials were initiating, or continuing discussions just one day after the Springfield vote, MGM officials said.

“We are eager to continue this and connect personally with surrounding community leaders who will play an important role in the selection process,” Hornbuckle said. “We have taken a comprehensive approach to the design and overall development of this project. And have always had regional partnerships and opportunities in mind.”

Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen and Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette confirmed they were among the local officials being contacted by MGM.

“We look forward to further conversations about the regional impact that a casino in downtown Springfield will have,” Bissonnette said. “I am particularly concerned about issues involving major state roads including the Turnpike Exit 6 at Burnette Road, Interstate 291, and I think the biggest concern of everybody in the region is the (Interstate 91) viaduct through downtown Springfield.”

Bissonnette said Chicopee, through a formed committee, will work on those issues and other mitigation matters in talks with MGM.

Agawam Town Clerk Richard M. Theroux, who chairs that community’s mayoral casino advisory committee, said his group will now turn its attention to negotiating a surrounding community agreement with MGM. He said people in Agawam are worried about the effect a project in Springfield would have on traffic, particularly around the South End Bridge and Route 57. He said his committee will meet Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Agawam Public Library to start making plans to negotiate.

In Palmer, casino proponents are gearing up for a vote, which is expected to take place sometime in September. Jennifer L. Baruffaldi, who is involved with pro-casino groups in town, said she has created a Facebook page, “Vote Yes for Palmer.” Baruffaldi created the page Tuesday and has 82 members.

“Things are definitely ramping up in Palmer,” Baruffaldi said.

Baruffaldi said she was not surprised that Springfield voters supported MGM’s proposal. She maintains that the Palmer site, where Mohegan Sun wants to build a casino across from the Massachusetts Turnpike exit, is the better proposal however.

Palmer At-large Town Councilor Paul E. Burns congratulated the mayor and MGM on their victory, and said considering that Springfield twice rejected a casino, Tuesday’s results showed that the “casino debate has changed from questioning whether casinos provide a positive benefit to where they will provide the greatest benefit.”

In Springfield’s South End, neighborhood pedestrians said Wednesday they were not surprised by the casino approval.

“I think it’s the greatest thing for employment,” said Christine Careau. “They need something like this in the city. People want it, everywhere you go. It will put some life in the city.”

Daniele said he was getting a lot of positive feedback from customers, people smiling, giving a thumbs up, or tooting their horns.

Valeri Ano, a neighborhood resident, said the casino will “help the community with more jobs” and he believes the crime rate will go down.

Carol Costa, presidents of the Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association in the downtown, said the 15-point margin of victory “is a terrific margin.”

Opponents have argued that the casino would hurt small business, create traffic problems, cause more problem gambling, and not live up to its promises.

Resident Bienvenida Perez said the casino will help “liven up the downtown” and bring more jobs.

In other news, the Council of Churches of Western Massachusetts has pledged to work with MGM to pursue a “responsible” gaming project.

In a prepared release, Archbishop Timothy Baymon, president of the Council of Churches of Western Massachusetts, said the voters have spoken and its time to work with MGM, proposing an $800 million casino in the South End. The project still needs approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and there are competing projects in Palmer and West Springfield.

Baymon said the majority of Springfield voters have supported the MGM project, “and I have no intention of continuing opposition to MGM, but will support the proposal by working to mitigate problem gaming in Springfield.”

That contrasted with comments by Michael Kogut, chairman of the Citizens Against Casino Gaming, who said their battle is not over. The group continues to oppose the project and will provide information to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which will consider licensing a casino in Western Massachusetts.